


After Places

by DistortedMirror



Category: Broadchurch, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Drama, F/M, Thriller, tentoo death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-13 17:56:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9134920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistortedMirror/pseuds/DistortedMirror
Summary: Rose must rebuild her life after the tragic death of her Doctor. Choosing to relocate to a small coastal town with her son, Rose is about to find the cruel workings of fate when she comes face to face with her husband's doppelganger. The bitter Detective Inspector will be forced to protect them as Rose's past comes back to threaten everyone around her. (Broadchurch/Doctor Who Crossover)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! Guess who's back?! This has gotten an overhaul, as will the next couple in the series. Enjoy!

**Flash of light.**  
  
_“Rose, he’ll be fine. Jackie can handle him.”  
  
“He took apart the Blu-Ray player last week when we left him alone with her.”  
  
“Yes, but he did put it back together.”  
  
“Doctor, he’s four, he shouldn’t be doing either.”  
  
“Yes, well, probably, but he isn’t just human Rose, he’s part Time Lord. He’ll be a very quick study, genius really.”  
  
“Like his father.”  
  
“ROSE!”_  
  
**Flash of light.**  
  
_“What do we have?”  
  
“Female, 30s, trauma to head, chest, abdomen, legs, and arms from MVA. Vitals unstable.”_  
  
**Flash of light.**  
  
_“Ma’am can you hear me? My name is Doctor Pedas. You’re at hospital. You’ve been in an accident.”  
  
“I don’t think she can hear you.”  
  
“Let’s get her into surgery.”_  
  
**Flash of light.**  
  
_“Her BP is dropping!”  
  
“Doctor, we’re losing her!”_  
  
**Flash of light.**  
  
_“When is she going to wake up? It’s been a week!”  
  
“There were some complications from the surgery. She sustained a lot of injuries from the accident…”  
  
“But she is going to wake up, right?”  
“Mrs Tyler, I understand you’re worried. I’m not going to lie to you right now or sugar coat the situation. Rose is in a coma and the longer she remains in one the less likely she will be to wake up. Right now, the odds are in her favour. Our first priority is to keep the swelling in her brain down and then see what we need to do to give her the best chance to survive this.”  
  
“Does she know?”  
  
“She was hardly conscious when she was brought in.”  
  
“So she doesn’t know?”  
  
“No.”_  
  
**Flash of light.**  
  
_“You told us she’d come out of this!”  
  
“I said it was possible, Mrs Tyler. There’s still hope left for her. She’s strong and her brain activity hasn’t dropped in the last six weeks since she was moved up here. Physically she’s healing well.”  
  
“Four months, Doctor, It’s been four months.”  
  
“I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you when she is going to wake up, but I simply don’t know.”  
  
“But she is going to, yeah?”  
  
“Mr and Mrs Tyler, I do want you to be aware that even if she does wake up, your daughter will most likely be in a state that will require supervision for the rest of her life.”  
  
“Are you saying…”  
  
“I thought you should be aware.”  
  
“We’ll cross that bridge if we have to, Jacks.”_  
  
**DARKNESS**  
  
Rose opened her eyes slowly, bright light filtered through her lashes and made her jerk. _Oh, now that hurts. Why is it so bloody bright?_ Why did it feel like her throat was scraped dry? The lights were so bleeding bright. She winced as she turned her eyes away from the window. She cracked her eyes enough to see where she was. Bright white walls reflected the sun as it streamed in through the wide paned windows. It felt like a hundred needles pricking her eyes and she shut them quickly.  
  
White walls. White, sterile walls. She grimaced. She could smell it now, that antiseptic and sick smell that could only be attributed to hospitals. What had she done now? Last time she’d been there it was because a Flaquish, a docile bird-like species from the planet Jovelian, had taken to picking off her neighbours dogs one by one. When her neighbour caught sight of the brightly feathered bird she’d screamed in terror, which caused the bird to get startled, and in turn resulted in Rose being caught by razor sharp talons. Really she didn’t blame the bird; she was just jeopardy-friendly.  
  
With a groan she turned her attention inward. Her body ached, but nothing felt broken. Without opening her eyes she wiggled her toes, her fingers, and slowly rotated her joints. They were stiff and felt a bit funny, like they hadn’t been used in a really long time. Almost like that time she’d broken her arm after a fight with a Weevil and she’d just gotten the cast off. The limb had felt weak and strange from not being used properly for so long, but other than that she felt fine. So no broken bones that she could tell, that was good. With a little trepidation she opened her eyes, squinting through the light.  
  
That’s when she caught sight of more than just the basic hospital room set up. Pictures of her family lined every surface of the room and there were even some flowers trying to offset the hospital smell, but unfortunately they were too far away to do her much good. It was comforting to see their faces reflected back at her. For all of three seconds. She frowned, why were there pictures? How long had she been here? Why was nobody waiting in the room with her? Surely the Doctor wouldn’t have wandered off before she woke up. Where was Zevan? Her mother? She was always around causing a fuss. Jake was always the first one to tell her off for being an idiot. It was the position he’d taken up since Mickey had stayed in the other universe. Yet, none of them were there. Where was everyone?  
  
Rose shifted, trying to move from the numbing position on the bed, when her eyebrows rose in shock. Was that? No, it couldn’t be. Her cheeks flooded red. It was. A catheter. Everything slammed into place in those seconds: the pictures, the absence of her family, how weak she felt, the dryness of her throat, and the catheter. She tried to sit up properly, to push herself out of the bed and get answers, but she couldn’t move much. Her fingers merely twitching, her hand only rising an inch off the bed at first. Fear clawed at her and she gasped for air. What was going on? Where was everyone? How long had she been here? Where was her son? Her husband? Where was her wedding ring?  
  
**CRASH!**  
  
Rose turned her head up at the sound of metal on tile. An older woman about her mum’s age stood at the door staring in shock at Rose. Then a smile spread across the woman’s face, like the sun peeking through storm clouds. It soothed her panic, but not enough. She needed answers and the look of absolute surprise on the woman’s face made her even more afraid of what was going on.  
  
The woman quickly picked up the tray and disappeared from Rose’s view for a few moments. She could hear whispered voices, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. The older woman reappeared with a cup of water, rushing to Rose’s side with that same warm smile on her face. The teal scrubs made her eyes pop and her dark hair was starting to turn silver along the temples. Rose imagined it would look stunning when every last strand turned to silver. It suited the kind eyes and smile on the woman’s face. She placed her hand on Rose’s and nodded, before gesturing with the water cup.  
  
“Welcome back, luv. I’m Edna. I’ve been taking care of you in the mornings,” the woman said, a slight Irish lilt to her tone.  
  
Rose opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She didn’t even have a scratchy or brittle voice. It was just silence. How long had it been since she’d spoken?  
  
Edna gave her a small smile as if to tell her it was okay. She sat the cup down and helped get Rose up in a seated position, which made Rose feel more like an invalid than anything. Especially when she brought the cup of water to her lips and gave her a sip of the cool liquid. “You’re at Torchwood Medical, luv. You were in an accident,” Edna said gently.  
  
Rose glanced down at her body, the stupid physical thing that was so weak she could hardly move it. There weren’t any broken bones to be seen, no scratches, cuts, or bruises either. That told her a frightening truth, one that she wasn’t sure she wanted to have confirmed. Edna gave her another sip of water, drawing away the bit that escaped from the corner of Rose’s lips.  
  
Swallowing the water, trying to give some lubrication to her vocal cords Rose finally found her voice, brittle and hoarse as she manged to get out one word, “When?”  
  
The look Edna gave her spoke volumes. Rose was suddenly afraid of getting the answer. Her eyes flicked around to the pictures along every surface, some toy cars that had to be her sons, and now that she saw the vase the flowers where in, the cloudy water suggested multiple uses. _Oh, God, Doctor where are you? Why haven’t you come back from the loo yet?_  
  
“Mrs Tyler, you’re awake,” a man’s voice drew Rose’s attention. Edna stepped back out of the way and nodded at a tall man in a long white coat. A doctor, her doctor probably. He nodded at Edna and she slipped quickly from the room, leaving them in peace. “I’ve already called your family they’re on the way here.”  
  
“Who are you?” Rose asked softly.  
  
“I’m Doctor Pedas. I’ve been in charge of your treatment here at Royal London. Do you remember how you got here?” he asked gently.  
  
Rose shook her head. She felt like he was talking to her like a child, but she knew it wasn’t on purpose. The truth was her head was muddled as it was and she just wasn’t in the mood to be angry with anyone.  
  
“I’m going to just do some quick tests to make sure you’re okay. I don’t imagine I’ll find any problems,” he said as he held up a thin silver torch that he was no doubt about to shine in her eyes. She nodded though instead of grumbling and let him go through all those irritating little tests all doctors did when they wanted to avoid answering questions.  
  
“Your reflexes are pretty good considering,” he said.  
  
“Doctor Pedas, are you going to keep me in the dark or are you going to give me real answers?” Rose asked, her voice cracking half way through, but she couldn’t take the avoidance any longer. She needed to know what was going on.  
  
Edna returned just then with a full pitcher of water and refilled the glass that Rose was still holding on to. Without another word she slipped back out of the room.  
  
“I thought it was best to wait for your family to arrive,” he replied.  
  
“Why?” she asked.  
  
“You were involved in an accident,” Doctor Pedas said.  
  
“Edna told me as much, but I fail to see where I’ve actually been hurt. Which leaves me with two different explanations, one I just passed out and you’re taking precautions or two,” Rose began, straining to keep her voice loud enough to be heard, “or I’ve been here so long I’m already healed.”  
  
Doctor Pedas nodded his head, but didn’t answer her. He simply took a seat in a chair and ran a hand over his face. There was a sad, tired look in the man’s eyes. At first glance she had thought him to be well into his fifties, but now she wasn’t so sure. She recognised that tired look, but he seemed younger, like he was probably in his forties, but had lived a tough life, just like she had.  
  
“You’re stubborn like your mother and I can see where your son gets his brain from,” he said gently.  
  
Suddenly Rose didn’t want the answers she was pushing for. She didn’t want to know. The way he talked about her family. It was like he knew them, really well. How did a doctor become so friendly with someone’s family? And why had dread knotted in her stomach when he mentioned her son? He was wrong. Zevan didn’t get his brains from her, he got them from…  
  
_ROSE!_  
  
Rose felt her heart shatter at the scream of her name in her head. It was his voice, she knew it was. Oh God she could hear it. There was a flash of rain and darkness, headlights, in her mind. The sound of metal crunching made her eyes tear up. Oh she knew. She knew then what had happened.  
  
“Where’s my husband?” she asked, her throat almost choking on the words.  
  
“Mrs Tyler, I need you to calm down,” he said gently.  
  
Rose was starting to hyperventilate. Her lungs were starving for oxygen and tears stung her eyes. He wouldn’t look her in the eye, he wouldn’t. It was as good as confirming what she already suspected. He was dead. Oh God the Doctor, her Doctor, was dead. Her son’s father, her love, the only person that had made this life better in those months after the Time Lord left them on that beach was gone. A sob broke from her lips and she couldn’t stop her gut from cramping. Pain filled her chest, but not in any way this doctor could fix. Her heart was breaking. She could feel it.  
  
“I’m going to have to sedate you,” he said, not unkindly.  
  
“You’re not touching her with anymore of your drugs!” Jackie Tyler shouted as she hurried past the doctor glaring at him.  
  
Doctor Pedas held his hands up and stepped back from Rose. The last thing in the world he wanted was Jackie Tyler’s wrath directed at him, again. He’d learned that the hard way in the first two weeks Rose was there. He refused to get another demonstration.  
  
“The Doctor’s dead Mum! He’s dead!” Rose sobbed as Jackie got to her side and wrapped her arms around her daughter.  
  
“You were supposed to wait!” Jackie roared at the doctor.  
  
“I said nothing.”  
  
Jackie glared daggers at him before she crawled up into the bed beside her daughter, rocking her gently. None of this was supposed to happen. After everything they’d both been through, this was not how things were supposed to end for them. Tears tumbled down Jackie’s cheeks. The worst was still yet to come. Rose still had no idea how long she’d been in a coma and Jackie didn’t fancy the mental recovery she was going to have to go through, or how she was ever going to get past the death of her husband. It had broken Jackie those first few years, but it had been easier, because Rose was still too young to remember. Zev was not. He understood more than he should. Now though he was without the one man in the universe that could help him to understand who and what he was.  
  
At some point Doctor Pedas left, vowing to return in an hour when Rose had hopefully calmed down. Jackie glared at his retreating form and her eyes softened as she met Pete’s eyes in the corridor. His hands were on the boys’ shoulders. Tony was leaning against his father’s side with a sad look on his face. He was ten now and he understood exactly what was going on. She lowered her gaze to Zev. He was nearly six and looked so much like his father. Wild brown hair that seemed to defy gravity, a pair of square glasses perched on his nose, and a skinny frame that seemed to consume more food than Jackie could make. The look in his eyes was like a plea to her and she nodded once at him.  
  
With a bolt Zev ran through the door and crawled onto the bed between Jackie and Rose. Rose immediately pulled him in, not even caring that he looked older. She knew now. She knew she’d been here a long time. It explained everything. Months had gone by. She could read that in the doctor’s eyes, but the pain of losing her husband was here and now. Her heart was breaking now. Jackie slowly slipped away as she watched Rose pull in her son, her arms wrapped protectively around him. His little body was shaking and Jackie sniffled at the sight. Zev had not cried once since they got the news, when those two coppers had knocked on their door in the middle of the night, pulling them from slumber.  
  
_“Mr and Mrs Tyler, I’m Constable Sable and this is Constable Shelley, may we come in?”_  
  
“What’s this about?”  
  
“Mr Tyler, there’s been an accident involving your daughter and her husband.”  
  
“Rose! My Rose! What’s happened? Is she all right?”  
  
“Jacks, calm down and let them speak.”  
  
“Air ambulance has taken your daughter to Royal London Hospital. I’m sorry, but I don’t know the extent of her injuries.”  
  
“And John? Her husband, they were on a date night.”  
  
“I’m sorry. John Smith was killed on impact.”  
  
Jackie pushed those thoughts far away, she couldn’t think about them. Everything they’d gone through recently. Those moments haunted her nightmares. The Doctor had died in that vehicle accident. Torchwood had taken care of everything before an autopsy could be done. They’d taken his body and cremated it before anyone could see how different it was, if it was different at all. After all this time they still didn’t know what was human and what wasn’t. The only thing they knew was they had to make sure.  
  
Then there were the court dates for the person responsible, an old man who’d lost so much and couldn’t keep his alcohol separate from his car. It resulted in crossed lines and the death of one good man and the long term recovery of their daughter. Those days had come and gone with Rose still asleep. She didn’t know about any of it and it broke Jackie’s heart. While all these things were going on, things that could ultimately help with the mental healing process her daughter was in a coma.  
  
At some point Pete had pulled Jackie into his arms and Tony was leaning his head on her arm. The three of them stood there for a moment before Rose finally took in a shuddering breath, her chin resting on her son’s head. The pain was unimaginable, but Rose had to be strong now. She had to take care of her son. She couldn’t just fall apart like she did after Canary Wharf. He needed her. Jackie understood this. She’d been there before.  
  
“How long?” Rose asked.  
  
“Fourteen months give or take a week,” Pete said, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer.  
  
“I — Is everything taken care of then?” she asked, stumbling over her words only briefly.  
  
“Yeah, sweetheart,” Jackie said softly.  
  
“What happened?” Rose asked, blinking back tears.  
  
“Drink driver. He got what he deserved though. The courts weren’t kind to him. Got a settlement and everything. We’ve set it aside for you and Zevan though. Hospitals are all paid up, that was the first thing the courts took care of. Isn’t that right, Pete?” Jackie said.  
  
He nodded solemnly.  
  
Rose laughed bitterly as she ran her hand over her son’s head, trying to tame his fly away hair. “I always thought we’d die at the hands of some alien. Bit humbling that it was something so human.”  
  
Jackie watched the shift in her daughter with sadness. The grief was still so new to her, but she could already see her Rose walling it up, storing it away. It was how she’d learned to deal with things on this side after she was first trapped here. There had been that month of complete grief and then she’d steeled herself, pushed herself into her work. She’d lost her daughter to Torchwood. Then he’d appeared to say goodbye, another two weeks of grief, and then she’d become a machine, working on that damn dimension cannon. When they’d been dropped back off in this world she was afraid Rose would fall back into the same pattern, but he had helped her. The human Doctor had kept that from happening and the joy at seeing her daughter happy was all that mattered to her, even if he was a nine hundred some odd alien turned human. It didn’t matter to her. You couldn’t help who you loved.  
  
“Rose?” Pete asked softly.  
  
“Yeah, Dad,” Rose said, her eyes flicking up to his.  
  
“Jacks and I have the guest cottage made up for you and Zev. You could stay there until you get back on your feet, then we’ll look at you coming back to Torchwood,” he said gently.  
  
Rose shook her head. Talons grasped her heart and her arms tightened around her son. She couldn’t go back there. Not now, not when she was the only one he had left. Zevan would grow up without his father, without understanding all of the information in his head. She couldn’t go back to Torchwood and risk her life. She had to think about him now. As well as the fact that just thinking of the drive from her father’s manor to the Torchwood building made her sweat. No, she couldn’t make that drive. She couldn’t do any kind of driving like that. It wasn’t possible. She wasn’t sure it would ever be possible again to get in a car.  
  
“I — I think maybe we need a fresh start somewhere. Away from London. Away from Torchwood. What do you say, Zev?” Rose asked gently as she ran her hand over his back.  
  
“Just promise not to leave me again, Mum,” he whispered against her chest.  
  
Jackie’s hand rose to her lips as she tried to suppress the sob at his words. Pete held her closer, his hand still on Tony’s shoulder. Rose closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks as she nodded her head. “I promise,” she whispered as she kissed the top of his head. This was why she could not return to Torchwood. Getting out of London was her way of running from what happened, well not running, more like moving on. She didn’t want to see him everywhere she went, didn’t want to get in a car just to get to work. Everything in her world was fractured between two places, before the accident and after. She wanted to get rid of the before places. She wanted only after places.


	2. New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Zevan arrive in a new town to begin their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to completely overhaul everything and make the story better, but as time has drawn on and this year has passed in shambles I haven't been able to give everyone what I wanted. Instead I'm going to just reupload the story without making any drastic changes unless I feel the desire to do so. I got a lot of lovely comments from the first chapter and I'm sorry for not responding to them. My life has gotten out of control this last year and I've had many things to struggle with that I did not know would be the case. So please forgive me and enjoy the updates that will come. The plan is to update every Wednesday.

**Like a shooting star, flyin' across the room – Simple Plan ‘Gone too Soon’**

Pete’s car came to a stop outside the small house. It didn’t look like much from the front, with its peeling white paint and rickety fence. The grass along the front of the house was hardly the colour of green it should be. Weeds were sprouting in patches along the fence and the walkway. The small deck at the front of the house faced the crashing waves and beach, probably the one reason Rose even wanted to buy this rundown little home. Then again the inside was far homier. A cheery yellow paint on the kitchen and dining room walls helped to bring in the sunshine in the morning, sky blue walls in the lounge and study helped to soften and calm the occupants in the evening. What would become Zevan’s bedroom was a deep blue with glow in the dark stars littering every inch of space. Rose’s bedroom was a soft pink, something that reminded her of her room on the TARDIS, those bitter sweet memories with the Doctor. The previous occupants finished their paint job on the loo and laundry room with cream coloured walls. It was quaint, but beautiful. Even Jackie had managed to accept the little home as adequate, though she hated how far away Rose would now be from her family and her old life.  
  
Jackie turned around in her seat to look in the back of the car. She’d been the one driving as Pete and Jake were behind her with the moving lorry with all of her daughter’s things. Tony sat in the passenger seat beside Jackie, glancing at the beach that wasn’t too far off from where they were now located. In the backseat Rose had her arm curled around her son and both were fast asleep. It was the only way they could get Rose into a car these days. They realised right after Rose was released from the hospital that things weren’t going to be easy. The minute she saw the car her eyes got wide and she wouldn’t move any closer. It took a sedative from the hospital to get her into the car and even then she was panicking. The doctor called it post-traumatic stress disorder. It was something she’d have to seek counselling over, but Rose was stubborn and wouldn’t hear of it. So for the last two months she refused to leave the house at all. It was through the internet that Rose discovered this little house by the beach and how she ended up purchasing it.   
  
So now here they were sitting outside this quaint little house all the way in county Dorset in a small town called Broadchurch (which was seemingly familiar for some reason, but Jackie couldn’t quite remember why), with Rose in the backseat completely out of it after taking a sleeping pill. It was going to be a nightmare trying to get her out of the car and into the house, but if that’s how she wanted to play things right now Jackie wasn’t going to push her. In a few more months she would though. They’d all had their time to grieve and get over the loss of the Doctor, but Rose still hadn’t dealt with it, not the way she needed to. Jackie had only seen her cry that once. It wasn’t healthy, but how could she really make sure her daughter was okay? Rose was too stubborn and all she said was that she was all right, that she was always all right.   
  
“Zevan, sweetheart, it’s time to get up. We’re here,” Jackie called to her grandson.   
  
Zev stirred, his eyes coming to rest on his gran. She smiled warmly at him, but he only frowned in response wishing he could get back to sleep. He’d been dreaming of his father, of the man he would become, even his mum was there. He saw them all together years from now. It wasn’t right. His father was dead. There would be no happy ending for their little family. It was just the two of them now.   
  
Life was never going to be easy and he realised his mother was always getting the short end of the stick. He knew the stories, was told them every night when he was a child as he lay in bed ready to sleep. His father would tell him stories of Gallifrey and his mum, how they travelled together through time and space. He knew they weren’t just stories, he knew they were real. The day he knew they were true was the day he sat down in front of his mother and father while they were watching something called Star Warp and he began picking apart the science aspects, knowing what was impossible in the physics realm. His mum had gasped and his father crowed with joy as he bent down and picked up the three year old Zevan. From that point on his father had begun a rigorous schooling schedule for Zev, one he kept up after his dad died. The only problem that he had was being forced to go to primary where he was far more advanced than all the other students and the teachers for that matter. Now he just played dumb.  
  
The lorry pulled up behind them and Jackie sighed as she looked back at the sleeping Rose. They were going to have to wake her up somehow. It wasn’t going to be easy in the least.   
  
“Tony, Zev, you two out of the car and wait for them to get the lorry ready to unload. I’m going to wake up Rose. Stay together,” she called as the two boys jumped out of the car, the doors slamming shut.   
  
With the shake of her head Jackie opened her door and slipped out of the car. She opened the back door where Rose was sleeping and rested her hand on her daughter’s cheek.  
  
“Rose, sweetheart, we’re here. It’s time for you to get up. Rose,” Jackie said softly not wanting to startle her awake.   
  
Rose mumbled something as she turned away from her mother and the cool wind that brushed along her face. Jackie grumbled under her breath. This was the exact reason why Jackie wanted Rose to go to counselling. She shouldn’t have to force a sleeping pill down her throat just to be able to get in a car. What was she going to do if she had an emergency? She didn’t even have a car right now. There were too many reasons why Rose needed some sort of vehicle, but Jackie knew that her daughter was never going to have one again. That’s why she chose this house, close to the beach and to the main centre of town. Everything was within walking distance. Grocery runs were going to be particularly irritating, but Rose wasn’t going to falter in her decision to be vehicle-less.   
  
“Rose, luv, come on. I need you to wake up,” Jackie said a little louder this time, her hand folding into her daughter’s and squeezing.  
  
“Doctor?” Rose murmured as she squeezed the hand in hers in return.  
  
Jackie gasped softly and fought off the tears as she ran her other hand over her daughter’s forehead and back through her hair.  
  
“No, Rose. It’s your mum. You have to get up now. We’re here, in Broadchurch.”  
  
Rose slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt heavier than normal and she groaned as she tried to stretch, but she seemed to be tied down by a safety belt. Lovely, she thought to herself as her hand shakily undid the belt and her eyes flicked over to Jackie who was standing there looking at her with such pity that Rose had to look away. She’d been dreaming about the Doctor, the sweet dream was slowly fading away, but she reached for it quickly, wrapped her mind around that last embrace of love before it slipped away for good. Every time she went to sleep she dreamt of him. Sometimes it was a nightmare about the accident or some other time she lost him, like the white wall in Torchwood, or on Bad Wolf Bay, or when he sent her away on Satellite Five. All those memories were fresh in her mind when she closed her eyes. It hurt. She had learned sleep wasn’t nearly as important as they said it was, unfortunately she couldn’t dodge it when it came to cars. She had to sleep then, it was the only time she couldn’t stay awake.  
  
“I’m awake. Go on, help Dad. I’ll be just a moment,” Rose said as she squeezed her mum’s hand one last time before letting go.  
  
Jackie didn’t argue, she just moved away from the car and caught up with her husband and Jake who were busy delegating tasks to the boys.  
  
Rose took a deep breath as she slipped out of the car, shutting the door behind her. The cold air filled her lungs quickly and she wrapped her arms around her body trying to stave off the chill. She could see the waves crashing into the shore and people milling around. It was still fairly cold, keeping people from actually diving into the water. Spring had just begun this last month though and things would get better. Of course it also meant that Rose was a few days away from her thirty-sixth birthday, at least in this world that’s what it was. In reality she was probably only thirty-two. With this world running ahead of her home universe she had no idea what her real age was, but since she was born in 1986 this was what her age would be now. She accepted it. God knows she was beginning to feel much older than that anyway.  
  
With a deep exhale Rose turned from the water and set about helping her family carry things from the lorry to her home. Jake gave her a warm smile and she returned it. He had become her best mate since she’d been forced to return here. The Doctor had healed her spirit and she loved him dearly, while Jake had been the one to help her realise she loved this human Doctor just as she had the Time Lord. He didn’t judge her for her inability to realise that truth earlier and had even stood beside her as her best man for the wedding. He was her best mate and she adored him. She sidled up to him and bumped him with her shoulder before the two of them started on getting the settee into the house.   
  
The sun had set long ago by the time they managed to get the last box in the house. Rose had flopped down on the settee in the lounge beside Jake. They were all exhausted. Even Tony and Zev were fast asleep on Zev’s mattress, which was resting on the floor in his bedroom. They hadn’t set up either of the beds yet. Jackie was in the kitchen making tea for everyone, while Pete was sitting back in a chair staring at all the boxes.  
  
“What are your plans then?” Rose asked as she turned her eyes on her father.  
  
“Well your mum wanted to stay long enough to get you settled here. We’ll probably spend a night at that inn, Traders wasn’t it? Anyway, it was something similar to that. We passed it on the way in,” Pete answered.  
  
“Could pull out a few duvets instead if you want? Mum and you could take the settee. Jake and I can sleep on my mattress and we could leave the boys where they are,” Rose replied, not entirely certain she wanted to sleep her first night in her new home on her own.   
  
Since she’d woken from the coma sleep didn’t come easily for her. Every night she felt the pang of loss when she’d reach over to find the Doctor’s side of the bed empty or when she’d wake from a nightmare in the middle of the night and no one was there to hold her. The Doctor had learned quickly that Rose Tyler needed to be held at night to keep the nightmares at bay. She needed him. Now he was gone. Trying to find the strength to accept that was harder than Rose thought it would be.   
  
“Is that what you want Rose?” Pete asked her softly.  
  
“More concerned with what you want,” Rose replied hastily, not really wanting to give away the fact that being alone sounded frightful.   
  
“If you two want to go down to that inn I feel more comfortable staying here with Rose,” Jake said, making the vice around Rose’s heart ease just a little.   
  
Pete nodded at that. Truth be told he wasn’t comfortable leaving Rose on her own right now. Jacks probably wouldn’t want to either and that was also something to be concerned about. If there was one thing he’d learned over the last eleven years was that this Jacks was extremely protective of her children, something he absolutely adored about her.   
  
As if she knew he was thinking about her Jackie walked in then with a tray in her hands with four mugs of tea. She placed them on the end table and started passing out the mugs with a smile on her face. It didn’t quite reach her eyes which told Pete that she wasn’t entirely comfortable with what was going on, but her daughter striking off on her own like this after a tragedy could hardly be surprising for her. At least it was only several hours from London, this dinky little town in Dorset. They could visit her on the weekends if Jacks really needed to, besides he’d made sure there were several video calls during the week from Rose. She’d promised him last week that she would make an effort to make sure her mum was well informed on life in Broadchurch.  
  
“Jacks, Rose was asking if you wanted to stay here tonight or get a room at the inn we passed on the way here,” Pete said conversationally.  
  
“Oh, sweetheart, we can’t let you spend your first night here on your own. You need that little bit of cheer that comes from a full house on the first night,” Jackie said with a nod as she took a seat on the settee next to Rose.  
  
Rose smiled warmly at the people around her. This was how she was going to survive the death of the Doctor. Her family and her friends would do anything to make sure she understood just how supportive they were, even supporting her in her decision to move all the way to Broadchurch in order to start over. Rose couldn’t have asked for better people in her and her son’s life right now. It was going to be hard seeing them go tomorrow, but she needed this, needed to find her own way again. Losing the Doctor the first time had been horrible for her. She’d shut herself off in ways she couldn’t even imagine now. Then finding him again and losing him to a half Time Lord substitute had hurt even more, until she realised that he was the same man.   
  
After that life was supposed to be perfect and it was for six years. Together they started a family, saved the world several times over, and found that they could fall even deeper in love with each other. Then it all ended in one blinding flash of light that left Rose with only the constant reminder that she could never fill the shoes of her son’s father. She could never teach him about the universe and help him come to terms with the fact that his brain was more advanced than any other child his age, that he would always be the smartest person in the room. If only they’d had more time together, as a family, not the brief four years they were given. Her son deserved to know his father, to learn of the universe in which his family came from.   
  
“Rose?” Jake’s voice broke through her thoughts and she turned her head to look at him.  
  
“Hmm?” she replied.  
  
“All right?” he asked.  
  
Rose nodded as she took a sip of her tea. She caught the subtle exchange between her parents and sighed inwardly. They were treating her like she was a piece of glass and she’d about had enough of it. This fragility they saw in her was false. She was strong, too strong maybe. With a deep breath she turned her eyes on her parents.  
  
“I’m fine. Stop looking at me like I’m going to break or something. I’m perfectly fine. This is supposed to be about me moving on with my life, not focusing on the past. That’s why we’re here right now. So stop assuming I’m going to break down at every turn. I need you to know I’m going to be fine when you leave tomorrow and I will be. Zev and I we can handle this together. We’re a family and I’m strong enough to survive what happened, I’m strong enough to come to terms with it,” Rose said with a strength she didn’t really feel, but she smiled at them, letting them know she really was fine.   
  
“Rose, sweetheart, you haven’t even grieved properly yet,” Jackie said softly beside her daughter.  
  
“Everyone grieves in their own way Mum,” Rose replied not unkindly.  
  
“We’re just concerned about you Rose, all of us,” Jake said, his shoulder bumping hers slightly.  
  
Rose sighed and got to her feet, setting her mug down so she could face the three people in the room, their eyes regarding her warily. Apparently it wasn’t just grief they were concerned about, but something else entirely. Maybe they all thought she was mad, like proper mad, where she should be sectioned and everything. She laughed to herself at the thought. Maybe she was a bit of a nutter now. After everything that happened how could she not be just the slightest bit mad?  
  
“I’m grateful for all of you, for everything you’ve done over the last couple months since my release, but if you want me to get better you need to stop treating me like I’m about to break. I want life to go back to normal. I want things to be simple, not this complicated mess that I’m living in. Zevan lost his father and I lost my husband, but that doesn’t mean that life has to stop. That’s not what he would want. The Doctor would want me to have a fantastic life and I’m going to. I just need some time away from where everything happened. I need this life here. You might not agree with my decision to move to Broadchurch, but you have to know that it’s better than being in London. This is where I need to be to heal completely, don’t you see that?” Rose asked them gently. She had to convince them that she was going to be okay. If she couldn’t do that then there was no way she was ever going to get them to leave her here at all. Why couldn’t they see how much she needed this?  
  
“Of course we see that, sweetheart, but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to sit back and not worry in the least. You’re my daughter,” Jackie said as she got to her feet and closed the distance between them, her arms wrapping around Rose. “I love you Rose. I’m your mother and I’ll always worry about you, especially when you’re so far away from home now.”  
  
Rose sighed as she embraced her mother. “I’ll be fine, Mum. I have Zev to keep me out of trouble.”  
  
“I’m more concerned about him finding trouble. That boy is as bad as his father was. You know what he did last week? He tried to upgrade the toaster! The toaster Rose!” Jackie exclaimed as she pulled away from her daughter so she could give her the full Tyler eye roll.   
  
Rose laughed. This was the third time she’d heard her mother go on about this particular event. Apparently Zevan had felt the toaster was taking too long to toast the bread, so he’d sat down and took the thing apart so he could ‘upgrade’ it. His father would have been proud of him, well up until the point when the toaster was so efficient it set the bread on fire after ten seconds of toasting. They’d had to get a new toaster because of it. Rose still found the entire thing far too funny for Jackie’s liking it seemed, because her mother just scowled at her before turning back to pick up her tea.  
  
“You have to admit though, it was ingenious,” Pete commented as he took a sip of his own tea, a wry smile on his lips. Leave it to her father to praise the cleverness of her son. Rose smirked into her own mug after she picked it up.   
  
“Oi, he could have burnt the house down!” Jackie protested.  
  
“Or made everyone’s toast under a minute,” Pete replied.  
  
Everyone laughed at that, effectively breaking the tension that had arisen in the room. Rose grinned as she leaned against the wall, her eyes roving over her family. This was what she needed, moments like this, in places like this. She wasn’t going to have to face all those little places in London that she and the Doctor had gone. She was going to make new memories here, in this little town. There would be no ghostly reminders of the Doctor here and that’s what mattered to her. She needed to move on with her life, not forget the Doctor, but ensure that he didn’t haunt her every moment of existence. She had to do that for her son. He didn’t deserve to see his mother like that, not after losing his father. So that’s what she was going to do. She was going to live a fantastic life.  
  
It didn’t take them long to finish tea and turn in for the night. The day had been long and tomorrow would mean unpacking as many boxes as possible before Pete, Jackie, Tony, and Jake were back on the road again. Early to bed, early to rise was the saying. That’s what they were doing now. Pete and Jackie found themselves curled up on the settee, rather awkwardly really, while Jake and Rose had found themselves in her bedroom curled up under her duvet on the mattress. He didn’t hold her like the Doctor did, but his presence helped fill the void that had settled in her heart every night. She only hoped the nightmares didn’t come tonight.   
  
Rose listened to Jake’s breathing grow deep and she sighed as she turned to stare up at the ceiling. The house was oddly quiet, which made her ears ring with the silence. Tears burned in her eyes and she forced them back. She couldn’t lose control now, not after all this time. She had to be strong. It wouldn’t do her any good to lose herself to her own grief, not after telling everyone just how fine she was. No, it wasn’t time for that. She had to live a fantastic life. She’d promised him long ago that she would. She had to keep that promise.  
  
Of course Rose had no idea that things were about to come undone, that every carefully placed wall in her heart and soul were about to crumble to dust.


	3. Ghosts of our Fathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finally gets a moment alone, but also runs smack dab into the Doctor's doppelganger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing to be made note of: when I wrote this story it was after the first season of Broadchurch. I still haven't seen the other seasons, so I'm going to be leaving the story as is and will not be updating the backstory of anyone in Broadchurch, or of Alec himself.

“Zevan, hurry up, you’re going to be late for school,” Rose yelled through the house as she hurriedly buttered several slices of toast, before smearing a heavy dollop of marmalade jam on each piece. 

 

“Can’t I just wait until next week after we’ve settled in a bit?” Zev’s voice muttered as he stepped into the kitchen.

 

“Absolutely not.  I already had to you pull you out in the middle of last week.  I can’t have you missing any more school than that,” Rose said as she turned quickly and held out the toast to her son.

 

“But we just settled in Mum.  Gran and Gramps only left last night,” Zev groaned.

 

“I know sweetheart, but I still don’t want you missing out.  Besides I hear they’ve got a good footy team.  Isn’t that exciting?” she asked.

 

“You know even if I miss the next ten years of schooling I’ll still be smarter than all of them,” he said succinctly. 

 

Rose flinched at her son’s words.  It was true and she knew that.  The Doctor was the only one that could have given Zevan a chance at learning, actual learning, but he was gone now.  From what Rose had understood, over the last year Zev had continued on in his studies by going to a library and reading every textbook he got his hands on.  They couldn’t just let him skip school and take his exams though, it would shed too much light on them, and there was already enough attention on Rose and her family, her being the Vitex heiress and everything.  This was one thing she didn’t want anyone else to know about.  Her son was a genius, no more than that, but if the wrong people found out they’d study him, she was sure of that.  She wouldn’t let that happen.

 

“I’m sorry,” Rose said softly as she finally sighed and pulled herself out of her own thoughts.

 

“Mum, I didn’t mean…” Zev trailed off.

 

“All of this is so beneath you, intellectually, I understand that.  I just can’t lose you, Zev.  If anyone finds out who you are, who you came from, I won’t be able to protect you.  That’s why we have to go through this pretence of sending you to primary school when you should be at uni.  I wish your father was still here, at least he could challenge you,” Rose said as she knelt down in front of her son, fixing the strap on his bag so that it wasn’t twisted.

 

“I didn’t mean it like that.  I just want to spend more time with you,” Zev said with a sigh before he bit into the toast.

 

“I understand,” she said as she brushed her lips along his forehead and adjusted the glasses on his face.  He didn’t need them really, just like his father, he only wore them to appear smarter.  It amused Rose to no end.  So much like his father.

 

“Come now, love, we have to get you to school.  We should be able to have a nice long walk there yeah?  Gran said it wasn’t too far off.  Can’t imagine it taking more than half an hour, what do you think?”

 

“I think we’ll probably get lost at least once.”

 

“Oi, have some faith in your mum.”

 

Zevan grinned at his mother in reply and Rose laughed as she pulled his hat down over his ears to protect him from the cold Spring morning.  She stood and wiggled the fingers of her right hand waiting for her son to slip his in.  Then the two of them were headed out the door.  The sun had hardly begun to rise, the air cool and crisp.  The sounds of water crashing into rock and sand echoed through Rose’s ears and she sighed.  At one point she’d never thought she’d be able to look at a beach again, but he had helped her with that, her human Doctor had taken her from beach to beach during their honeymoon just to prove to her why they were fantastic.  It was one of the many reasons why she chose this very house, in this very town.  It wasn’t touristy enough to destroy the beach, but not empty enough to remind her of Bad Wolf Bay.  It was perfect.

 

As they walked Zevan began a long winded explanation of how the sun didn’t really rise, but rather the Earth’s rotation gives the appearance of the sun rising.  Rose listened quietly, a smile pulling at her lips.  He would make a great scientist one day.

 

“…and Nicolaus Copernicus, you know who he is don’t ya Mum?” Zevan asked as he turned his head to look up at her.

 

“He was an astronomer right?” Rose asked, her eyes dancing with mirth at how excited he sounded.

 

“Not just an astronomer, Mum.  He was a mathematician!  Fancy that!” he grinned up at her.

 

“Must have been very smart, but I bet you could easily be both if you wanted to,” she smiled down at him.

 

“I don’t want to be a mathematician.  My maths teachers are always so severe,” he said with a grumble.

 

“Oh, is that so?” she laughed.  “What do you want to do sweetheart?”

 

“I want to work at Torchwood like you and Dad.  Maybe see the stars like you did once.”

 

“If anyone can figure out how to do it you can.”

 

Rose beamed with pride down at her son before squeezing his hand in hers.  It was days like these that made her forget about what had happened to her, what she lost.  There had been so much loss, too much of it, but she’d managed to survive.  Every day she picked herself up, got dressed, made breakfast, and made sure her son was taken care of.  These little things meant everything to her, especially to see her son’s eyes light up with delight at the prospect of what he could do in the future.  No matter what he chose to do with his life he would be brilliant, of that she had no doubt.  She just wished the Doctor was there to see it happen. 

 

Somehow Zevan managed to get back on topic of what he was discussing and Rose nodded with a smile as he told her all about Nicolaus Copernicus and his heliocentric model that he formulated in the Sixteenth Century.  Apparently the latest book he’d been reading was about astronomy.  She got a full lesson by the time they reached the school, though the excitement in his tone had diminished to hardly a whisper by the time they got to the doors.  She squeezed his hand again, letting him know that everything was going to be okay.

 

“You’re going to be all right,” Rose said softly after she got him squared away with the administration.  He was clinging to her hand tightly as students poured past them down the halls to their respective classes before the day began.

 

“I don’t want you to go,” Zevan whispered as he stepped closer to her kneeling form, refusing to look at the teacher beside the door of his class.

 

“I know sweetheart.  I’ll be here to pick you up.  I promise.  You know I never break my promises,” she said gently.

  
“Just once,” he replied so softly Rose wasn’t sure she actually heard him. 

 

The words ripped the plasters off her heart and for a moment she fought to keep the tears out of her eyes.  He was right.  She had broken a promise just once.  The day of the accident.  She had promised that she and the Doctor would be back in time for breakfast the next morning.  They never got that breakfast.  Rose pulled him in for a hug, holding him close before standing back up and nodding.  He would be all right.  They were both all right.

 

“Be brilliant,” Rose said with a sad smile as she nodded at Zevan.  He looked devastated as he nodded and turned into the classroom, the teacher turning to her with a smile.

 

“Being new is always hard,” the woman said with a smile.

 

Rose nodded her head not really sure what to say.

 

“Mrs Kara Dutton,” the teacher said as she held her hand out to Rose.

 

“Rose Smith,” she replied, grasping the woman’s hand and shaking gently before withdrawing.

 

“You just moved into the Cunningham’s old home didn’t you?”

 

“I suppose.  I’m not sure who lived there before.”

 

“Right, of course.  Silly of me.  Well Rose I can assure you your son is in good hands here.  We take very good care of our students.  You don’t have to worry.”

 

“I always worry.”

 

“He’ll be adjusted to life here soon then, so you won’t have to worry so much about him, fair?” Kara said with a soft smile.

 

Rose tried to return the smile, but only nodded before waving as she took her leave.  She wasn’t in the mood to deal in small talk and false smiles.  Maybe tomorrow she’d be able to take up a conversation, today she only felt cold, cold and alone.  Today would be the first day since she woke up that she would officially be on her own for long periods of time, she wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.  Before all she wanted was the space, but now she wasn’t so sure. 

 

The cool morning air did little to help the numb feeling that had settled into her limbs.  All she wanted to do was wake up from this nightmare, but she was beginning to think she’d actually woken up into one.  Rose was exhausted.  She hadn’t slept more than three hours since she’d popped the sleeping pills in the car two days ago, or was it three now?  With a sigh she rubbed her temples as she moved through the throng of students and parents.  She noticed a few curious glances and maybe even a few surprised reactions.  Did they recognise her?  She’d refused to bleach her hair again, deciding it was the first thing she could change, something to help her move on.  Most of the paparazzi photos of her were when she was still blonde and had the Doctor wrapped around her. 

 

Suddenly it felt like everyone was staring at her.  She knew they weren’t, not really, but she felt like they were.  Every time she turned her head she caught someone’s eyes drifting away.  Did they know who she was?  Could they see her scars, the ones that she hadn’t even noticed until she stood in front of a mirror?  Were they visible?  Could they see the part in her hair that would never hold strands again?  Did they read the dozens of articles about her fighting for her life unaware of the fact her husband was dead?  Did they talk about the Vitex Heiress that may never wake up? 

 

The questions poured through Rose’s mind and she lost it.  The moment she found herself out of range of the school and the people she was running.  Her lungs burned in her chest and tears poured down her cheeks.  She was spiralling.  Maybe being alone had been a bad idea, but she couldn’t face them, the pity on her mum’s face, or the way her father walked on egg shells around her.  She couldn’t take any longer.  She needed this. 

 

The muscles in her legs sparked with fire and pain.  It had been far too long since she’d run, especially like this, as if her life depended on it.  Right now she thought it did.  They had told her not to do this, not to over exert herself, but build up slowly to the physical activity.  When had Rose ever listened to doctors though?  They always thought they knew so much, but they were wrong.  They couldn’t fix everything.  They couldn’t fix her broken heart.  They couldn’t bring her dead husband back.  They couldn’t make her forget the sound of metal on metal, or his voice screaming her name, or the fact that for just a brief moment before she lost consciousness she could still feel his hand in hers, his dead hand, because that’s what he’d been at that point, dead. 

 

Rose’s legs gave out at that point and she crumbled to the ground.  Briefly she entertained the thought of how ridiculous she must look from another person’s point of view, but the thought was quickly forgotten as the pain rolled through her body.  Every muscle was on fire now and her lungs were starving for oxygen.  She would have sobbed as she curled in on herself on the cold, damp grass under her, but she couldn’t breathe well enough to do so.  Instead she just willed herself back together.

 

A Scottish brogue tore through her mental breakdown, “Ma’am, are you all.”

 

“Fine,” Rose replied without even glancing toward the figure or moving really at all.

 

“You can’t just expect me to believe you’re fine,” the voice muttered indignantly.

 

“Don’t really care what you believe,” she mumbled.

 

“Aye, cause that’s always helpful,” he grumbled.

 

“I’m fine,” Rose said again with a little more vehement, turning her head into her coat and resisting the urge to scream at this man who wouldn’t leave her alone.  Her emotions were running all over the place and the last thing she wanted to do was lose what little control of her temper she had.  It would do her no good; she knew he was only seeing if she was all right.  So much for no one witnessing her graceless fall to the ground.

 

“Oh this is ridiculous, just let me check to make sure you didn’t break anything, then I’ll let you wallow in your self-pity,” he growled.

 

Rose felt her temper flare and suddenly she found the strength to get back on her feet, even though her whole body was screaming at her.  She swiped at the tears on her face hastily before turning around, ready to give this arse a piece of her mind.

 

Then the world seemed to spin as her eyes landed on him.  No, not spin.  That wasn’t the right word for it; that was too kind.  It was as if the rug she’d found herself on had been pulled out from under her and she was tumbling backward, her body unable to stop the collision with the ground.  The blow would shoot pain through every part of her body and she would lay there for hours just trying to stop the stars from spinning around her.  That’s what it was, the feeling deep inside. 

 

For a minute Rose was frozen just staring at him.  She knew deep down that it wasn’t him, it couldn’t be him.  The Scottish accent made that clear, but as she raked her eyes over him she couldn’t help wanting to believe.  Was it really that impossible?  After everything they’d gone through why couldn’t he have found a way back?  The Doctor was always doing the impossible.  But the cold look in those eyes told her a different story.  They were the same brown, but colder, nothing like the eyes of the man she loved.  He held no recognition of her either; a kick to the gut would hurt less, she thought.  His hair was longer, almost falling into his eyes and it was quite clear he didn’t actually shave, only trimmed.  Other than that they were identical in every way and it brought a gasp from her lips, her hand immediately covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle the sound.

 

“Good you’re done with the pity party,” he grumbled as he shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. 

 

Whatever thoughts Rose had been trying to come to terms with were suddenly thrown out the window as his words were like fuel on a fire.  She was trembling from the anger.  How dare this man insult her?  How dare this man have his face, the face of the most important man in her life?  How could that even be?  She wanted to hurt him, to yell at him, hit him, or do something that would let the universe see just what she thought of this turn in events. 

 

“Who the hell are you?” Rose asked, her voice bordering on a hiss.

 

“More interested in knowing who you are and why you think it all right to just throw yourself on the ground dramatically.  Is that what they do in London these days?” he asked.

 

Whatever hope she’d been clinging to that this was the Doctor in some form or fashion it was immediately distinguished by those words.  This man wasn’t the Doctor.  Tears burned her eyes, but she fought them back.  Why was it when she was angry and all she wanted to do was scream at someone she started crying instead?  All the bloody hormones and she couldn’t even keep herself together long enough to wipe some proud scowl off his face. 

 

“Walk away,” Rose said between clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing at him.

 

“Not bloody likely,” came his stubborn reply as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

His insistence to stay made her body rigid and suddenly her voice was calm, too calm, eerily calm, “What do you want?”

 

“Are you hurt?  Or just throwing a fit?” he asked.

 

A moment later and Rose felt her hand burn, her eyes widening as she realised she’d slapped him.  Oh God she was turning into her mother.

 

\-----

 

Alec Hardy had been driving when he saw the panicked trek of the woman with honey brown hair pulled into a loose bun.  He was sure she was in trouble and though he wasn’t even on duty today he found the need to pull over and get out of his car.  It was then he saw her collapse.  Quickly he scanned the area.  No one was following her, chasing her, or anything of the sort.  There had definitely been a look of panic on her face though, he knew that sort of look anywhere.

 

He jogged across the road, wincing at the tug in his chest.  Though the pacemaker had been fitted three months ago and his body had long since healed from the invasive surgery he still felt like every move would rip the damn thing from his chest and then he’d really be dead.  She was curled in on herself when he got to her and he could tell from the tremors running through her that something was definitely not fine. 

 

Concern warred with Alec’s more severe nature, but he let it win, asking her if she was all right.  When she didn’t even look at him and the words just rolled right off her tongue he was sure someone had hurt her.  He tried to make his next comment a joke to put her at ease, but he was just a terrible people person.  It came out ruder than he intended and from there things just went downhill.  By the time she was on her feet and turning on him he was sure he was going to learn something, or at least see if she was bleeding anywhere, but she froze.

 

Alec didn’t know what to make of the look on her face.  It wasn’t quite fear, or shock.  It was this deep, soul piercing look of desperation and devastation at seeing him.  Suddenly he felt very inadequate.  This woman was staring at him like she knew him or at least thought she did, but he didn’t know her at all.  Well, maybe that wasn’t quite the truth of it.  There was something familiar about the shape of her face, but that was hardly saying he knew her.  The London accent on her lips was definitely one he didn’t recognise from his time in Glasgow or here in Broadchurch. 

 

The look she was giving him made him uncomfortable and before he could stop himself, one of his usual insults was already leaving his mouth.  Really he hadn’t meant for it to happen, but he couldn’t take it back now.  If the woman wasn’t so unnerving he would think before he spoke.  Then again that wasn’t bloody likely.  He didn’t usually care whether or not he was being rude.  He just didn’t want to upset the woman who had been fleeing from something or someone.  He needed to steer the conversation back in that direction.

 

Of course he couldn’t help that one last snub of a question after he asked her if she was hurt.  Then the palm of her hand connected with his face.

 

“What the fuck was that for?” Alec growled as he placed his hand over his flaming left cheek.

 

“You need me to spell it out for you?” she hissed.

 

“Think that might do aye,” he spat as he drew out his police identification.

 

Alec praised the woman for the look of nonchalance that donned her face as she flicked her eyes over his identification.

 

“Well Detective Inspector, I’m now certain you can figure out exactly why I slapped you and if you can’t then maybe you shouldn’t be a DI.  I can definitely fix that for you,” she said as her eyes found his.

 

“Are you threatening me?” Alec asked, his brows furrowing in annoyance at the brashness of this woman.  It took a lot of convincing to let him keep his job after the surgery.  The only thing that really helped him was solving the Danny Latimer case.  It had earned him some respect in the town, a few friendly faces, but he could only really count Ellie as a friend.

 

“Not bloody likely,” she threw the comment back at him with a bit more cheek than he had her.

 

“I could have you charged with assault,” he said carefully.

 

“Try it.  You wouldn’t get me into the cell before you were sacked,” she hissed.

 

Alec glared at her.  The unnerving confidence in this woman had spoken volumes.  He was actually wondering if she was right.  What sort of connects could a woman, who was probably only about five years younger than him, like her have?  Whatever they were he was going to find out. 

 

“What’s your name?” he asked, his tone not unkind, but hardly friendly.

 

“Good day, Detective Inspector,” she growled as she headed past him. 

 

Alec was going to stop her, solve some of the mystery that was drowning him, but he caught the look of devastation again and froze.  Instead he just stood there, his hands sliding into the pockets of his trousers as he watched her walk away.  She couldn’t hide her identity forever.  This was Broadchurch, he was sure someone already knew her entire life story by now.  He just had to find the right person to interrogate. 


End file.
